Related

The 29-year-old shared a pre-surgery update on social media and was all smiles (via Instagram):

About to get my knee surgery. Feeling great and blessed! I’ll be back at in No Time

Oezdemir’s surgery concludes a rough 2018 campaign for him. He started the year by falling short in a title fight against 205-pound champ Daniel Cormier, then proceeded to have multiple fights scratched due to various issues. He finally returned for the matchup with Smith, and after a strong start, succumbed to a submission.

After the fight Oezdemir told MMAjunkie he was looking forward to some time off to heal from injuries, and hinted that his knee was not right.

“I got some injures and now I definitely have to take care of a few things,” Oezdemir said “Get some surgery and take some time off.”

Oezdemir’s team did not immediately respond to MMAjunkie request for the exact details of his surgery and a potential timeline for his recovery.

For more on the UFC schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.